Call 304-425-6425 for Event Information.
Friday & Saturday, April 10, 11
Dinner Theatre Performance
Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. in the brand new
CAFE WHERE?
on the first floor of the RiffRaff Arts Collective.
Menu TBA soon.
Songs For A New World
Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Originally Produced by the WPA Theatre, New York City, 1995
(Kyle Renick, Artistic Director)
Original Orchestration By Brian Besterman and Jason Robert Brown
Songs For A New World is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
421 W. 54th St., New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684
STARRING: The RiffRaff Players,
Kayla Kathleen Ward, Douglas Imbrogno, Albert Perrone and Lori McKinney
“Songs for a New World” brings off-Broadway to West Virginia stage
The RiffRaff Players, a performing arts collective out of Princeton, W.Va., will stage Jason Robert Brown’s 1995 off-Broadway show “Songs for a New World” in two area performances this spring. This compelling, powerful, sometimes very funny work is by a composer described as on his way to being “one of the strongest new musical theatre writers of this generation.”
The show will be staged Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21, in Tamarack’s Hullet C. Smith Theatre as part of the center’s popular dinner theatre series. Then, on Friday and Saturday, April 10 and 11, The Room Upstairs, operated by The RiffRaff Arts Collective in downtown Princeton, W.Va., will play host to the 17-song musical. Both shows are dinner theatre experiences beginning with a full-course meal at 6:30 p.m.
The RiffRaff Players consists of four well-known regional performers: Kayla Kathleen Ward (also known as Kathleen Coffee), Douglas Imbrogno, Lori McKinney and Albert Perrone. Each player brings a wide range of diverse performance experience to the stage and together they are part a new generation of progressive music theatre in West Virginia.
There is limited seating at both venues and the Tamarack theater series often sells out. Purchase Tamarack dinner theatre tickets for $40 at www.tamarackwv.com or call 1-88TAMARACK Ext. 148. For the Princeton showing, purchase tickets for $25 at www.theriffraff.net or call 304-425-6425. There is limited seating at both venues and the Tamarack theater series often sells out.
SHOW HISTORY
Says Jason Robert Brown of this gripping revue: “It’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.” One writer, describing the show’s songs, says they are about “those moments in life when everything seems perfect and then suddenly disaster strikes, in the form of the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage, imprisonment, even suicide. But it’s even more about surviving those moments. It's about the way we regroup and figure out how to survive in a new set of circumstances – a new world – even against seemingly overwhelming odds.”
Brown transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge 57 stories above Fifth Avenue and beyond, to meet a startling array of characters. They range from a young man who has determined that basketball is his ticket out of the ghetto to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams and a soulless marriage. These are stories and characters of today, the songs for a new world.
With music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, the show was originally produced by the WPA Theatre, NYC in 1995 with Kyle Renick as artistic director. “Songs For A New World” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International, New York.
NOTE: The Tamarack show is a family-friendlier version of the show, missing a few of the ribald references and language from the off-Broadway show. At the Princeton venue, there will also be a regional summit for Create WV earlier on Friday, April 10. Guests will participate in a progressive discussion on West Virginia in the new economy and the rise of the "creative class" and are invited to stay for the show.
For more history and an analysis of the show, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_for_a_New_World
For more information on the RiffRaff Players and these performances, contact Lori McKinney at 304-425-6425.
DINNER THEATRE MENU
*Grilled Crostini with Radishes
*Festive Spinach Salad
*Scalloped Potato and Wild Mushroom Soup
*Cheese and Mushroom Steak Pinweels with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
-Or-
*Spinach Stuffed Portabello with Sweet and Sour Carrots
*Grilled Nectarines with Raspberry Glaze
*Dinner seating at 6:30 pm
*Performance begins at 8:00 pm in the Room Upstairs
*Reservations required
First Monday of Every Month, 7-11pm
Open Stage Night
music, poetry, dance
 All ages and styles are welcome. Poetry, dance, and music of any genre are encouraged. Expect to hear RiffRaff regulars like Option 22, the Captain Lazerblast Band, The Spontaneous Combustion Project, Kathleen Coffee and Cori Edwards. The Room Upstairs turns into a wide open creative space, with markers and crayons for drawing and all kinds of opportunity for artistic and musical conversation and collaboration. Wireless internet is also available. A donation of $3 for non-performers and 2$ for those performing is asked to help defray operating costs. Complimentary coffee, tea and snacks are served each week.
***This is a family event, so please censor your material accordingly.***
Various evenings
ONE DRUM
a social drumming group
 Hand drum enthusiasts of all skill levels are invited every fourth Wednesday to join One Drum.
Drums are available for purchase in the RiffRaff Gallery and experienced drummers will be on hand to provide guidance. Call for times & dates.
This event is FREE.
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